On Saturday, May 30, Palestinian farmers from the Soleiby family were joined by activists from Palestine Solidarity Project, Anarchists Against the Wall, and Ta’ayush to work land near the Bat ‘Ain settlement, in Gush Etzion. Activists have been accompanying farmers in the area recently since an attack on the settlement on April 2 led to settler riots and attacks on farmers. At 7 am, a group of 11 activists and 2 farmers went to land owned by 72 year-old Hamad Soleiby and began picking grape leaves. Israeli settlers began gathering at the top of a hill on the edge of the illegal settlement and three Israeli military jeeps … Continue reading

Saturday, May 16th 2009

On the morning of the 16th, Palestinian farmers from Beit Ommar village with lands in Saffa close to the illegal Israeli settlement of Bet Ayn, defied a closed military zone order issued by the army in order to work their lands. At around 7am, about a dozen farmers and their families accompanied by a large group of Israeli and international solidarity activists, went to their fields in a valley just below Bet Ayn settlement. … Continue reading

On Saturday, May 9th, farmers from Beit Ommar with lands in Saffa, close to the illegal Israeli settlement of Beit Ayn, were prevented from working their fields after Israeli forces declared the area a closed military zone. At around 9am, about six farmers and their families went to their lands accompanied by a dozen Israeli and international solidarity activists. After they were only in the fields for about ten minutes, a jeep of Israeli border police arrived. The police used a bullhorn to declare the lands a closed military zone and all of the farmers and solidarity activists were ordered to leave.
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The farmers initially ignored the order and continued to work their lands. Three more jeeps … Continue reading

On the 8th of May, 2009, residents of the southern West Bank village of Al-Ma’asara conducted their weekly demonstration against Israel’s annexation barrier, despite increased repression from Israeli forces. At last week’s demonstration, five nonviolent Palestinian organizers were arrested, and they continue to be held in an Israeli prison. This Friday, Israeli soldiers created at least three flying checkpoints on the roads leading to the village in an attempt to stop participants from reaching the demonstration. Soldiers turned back all Palestinian cars and only allowed settler vehicles to pass. Five military jeeps and two police cars were also stationed at the entrance to Al-Ma’asara, much further into the village than during past Friday demonstrations. … Continue reading

On Monday, the 4th of May, a Hebron resident’s arm was broken by two soldiers in the old city. 49-year-old Mohammad Hashem Borqan was on his way to pray at the Ibrahimi Mosque at around 5:30am. As he went through the checkpoint at the entrance to the mosque, two soldiers started beating and kicking him. Mohammad fell to the ground, breaking his arm. After the beating the soldiers ordered him to leave the area, and he was forced to take himself to the hospital.

Additionally, at around 2:00pm that same day, seven Israeli soldiers entered at least two Palestinian handcraft shops in … Continue reading

For three days in a row settlers from the right-wing extremist settlement Bet Ayn have entered the land of Khirbet Saffa, an area of Beit Ommar Municipality, shooting at Palestinian homes and damaging agricultural land. On Friday, May 1, approximately 20 settlers set fire to fruit trees belonging to residents of Saffa. Israeli soldiers arrived and chased the settlers away, but then prevented residents from accessing the land to put out the fire, which continued for hours. Soldiers used tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets on Palestinians who gathered in the area to defend the land.
On Saturday, May 2, at approximately 10:30am, settlers again entered privately-owned Palestinian land. They left shortly after, but later … Continue reading